— 1989

"Do you think he's going to like it?" My eyes flit slowly from the scene before me, to my dear friend Andrew. "Or is it too much?"

"You've done amazing," Andrew answers, gently patting my shoulder in reassurance. "He's going to love it. And if it all goes wrong — which it won't!—" He raises his arms in surrender, "—then you'll still have me by your side, mate."

I nod my head, appreciative of his kind words. "Everything is set up ready for tonight. He'll be getting home around six o'clock ... and then, the plan can begin." My brows furrow, as the familiar feeling of impending doom sets in. "You'll definitely catch it all on camera, won't you?"

"If I don't catch the whole thing on camera, then my name isn't Andrew Ridgeley," he responds, waving his camcorder at eye level to show it off to me. "This baby has seen me through some of the better times of my life. And tonight will most-certainly be one of those moments."

"You're the best." A grin forms on my face as I let out a chuckle, but the smile fades when I check the time on my wristwatch. "Oh, goodness me. It's already five-fifteen! He's going to be here in forty-five minutes. I still need to get changed, and sort out music, and—"

"Hey, relax." Andrew rests one hand on my frantic limbs to calm me. "You need to get yourself into the zone, mate. Keep your cool. There's no way on God's green earth that George would ever say no to you."

George. Just hearing his name sends my heart soaring. George is the name of the man I fell in love with a few years back; and the name of the man I wish to spend the rest of my life with. Only the best will suffice for a man who has transformed my world and made it brighter — and "the best" is what I hope to accomplish with this evening's festivities.

A combination of Andrew's reassurance and the thought of my beloved is enough to settle my nerves — for now, at least. There's no doubt in my mind that the anxiety will creep back in nearer to the time.

• • •

"Shit! Andy, he's home! Hide somewhere quickly!" My panic sets in, so I shoo Andrew out of the room, silently hoping he has a solid plan up his sleeve for filming the interaction that's soon to come.

"Good luck!" he whispers, as he darts into the next room over.

My eyes watch him impatiently as he tucks himself into a corner, at the perfect angle to record through the doorway leading to the room I'm in. I'm not given much time to react with relief, as the front door unlocks moments later. Without much thought, I rush into the hallway, slamming the living room door shut to hide the surprise. The front door opens, revealing my handsome boyfriend — hopefully, soon-to-be-fiancé — in his best grey suit and white undershirt. Seeing him looking so dashing makes me thank the heavens above that his job required such formal attire on a day like this.

"Hello, my love." George greets me with arms around my waist and a short, sweet kiss. "How has your day been?"

"Oh, the usual — just getting housework done ready for you to get back," I lie. "How was work?"

"I swear that record company just takes me for a mug sometimes," George huffs, shaking his head in disapproval. "Honestly, darling, you would not believe it. You create the biggest-selling album of nineteen-eighty-eight in the US, and what respect do you get for it? The meeting I had with those daft bastards today was a complete waste of time and energy. I don't know why I even bother. I wish I could break my contract with those tossers, but legally I can't do shit."

"I'm sorry, babe." My hands rub up and down his arms comfortingly, to try and ease his tension just a little. "But actually, I—"

"I'm so sorry; where are my manners?" George interrupts me, seemingly offended at his own rudeness. "Enough about me. How are you? You haven't been working yourself too hard, have you? Is there any housework that still needs doing? I can help you with it if you need me to—"

"George." A small bout of laughter escapes from my lips. "It's all covered. You don't need to worry about any of that. All I need you to do is give me that gorgeous smile of yours, and focus on unwinding for the night. I actually have a little surprise for you. It isn't much, but I knew today would be long and difficult for you — so I did it to cheer you up."

"Where did a man like me find someone as special as you, hey?" George smiles to me, leaning in to plant another soft kiss upon my lips. "I can't wait to see what it is. You didn't need to do anything of the sort."

"I did it because I love you," I answer. "Close your eyes."

He snickers, revealing his pearlescent teeth, complete with adorable fang-like canines, as he obliges to my request and shuts his eyes. One of my hands reaches to grab his so that he has some guidance towards the next room, while the other opens the door to the living room.

"Are we going into the living room?" George asks, using his free hand to try and feel the environment around him.

"Yes. Follow my voice," I reply, amused. We come to a halt in the middle of the room, so I let his hand go. "Alright. When I tell you to open your eyes, open them, okay?"

"Alright. I'm a bit nervous," George admits. "Is something going to bite me?"

"Not unless you want me to," I tease.

My eyes scan the room one final time — the huge letters spelling out "I LOVE YOU" lined up along the back wall; the pretty lights dotted around the vicinity to maintain the mellow atmosphere; and the red, pink and blue balloons arranged beautifully to pull the look together. Blue is his favourite colour; and red and pink, to me, represents the love and romance we share together.

The reality of what's about to happen finally sinks in, causing my heart to thump unbearably, sending vibrations coursing through my body in waves. As I swallow the lump forming in my throat, I withdraw the ring box from my pocket, ready to ask the question. With a shaky breath expelled from my mouth, I lower myself down onto one knee in front of George's shielded eyes.

"Okay ... you can open your eyes, now."

He follows my direction, blinking a few times to regain his vision. He first spots the decorations, but not even a fraction of a second later his eyes avert down to see me knelt down before him, presenting the ring. As soon as he clocks what is happening, his mouth opens in shock, though he uses his hand to clasp it shut.

"Stop it," he gasps, the words muffled through his fingers. "You're joking me."

"I'm not joking, baby." A smile settles on my face as I continue to talk. "George, you mean the whole world to me, and more. Since the day we met, I could just tell that there was something different about you. I didn't see you for your success or your fame. I saw you ... for you. And I will always see you for you. And I want to wake up next to you; and be there by your side when you're laughing and when you're crying; and hold your hand through everything ... for the rest of our lives. I see nobody else but you. And when I look at you, I see everything I've ever wanted. You make me smile. You make me laugh. You make me mad, but you're the only person who could ever get away with that. You're so generous and warm, and loving and giving. So, having said all that, it leads me to my question."

"I can't believe this," George whispers under his breath, his hands still firmly pressed to his mouth. By now, it's easy to see the glossy sheen of emotion in his ethereal amber eyes.

"Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, will you marry me?"

Tears trickle over his dark lower lashes, falling down his cheeks and onto his fingers as he nods. He finally moves his hands away from his face to give me his answer. "Yes. Of course I'll marry you. Oh my God."

Thankful for his response, I stand myself back up to help slide the ring onto his finger. He brings me in for a tight, deliberate hug, before capturing my lips in a heartfelt kiss. Upon parting, he takes a moment to admire his new accessory — a white gold band with a single diamond embedded into it.

"Do you like the ring?" I ask.

"It's stunning," George answers, before gesturing with his arms at the entire room. "All of this is. I have no idea how you did all this by yourself."

"Actually ... " A mischievous chuckle from me indicates to George that there's been another mastermind behind this scheme. "Show yourself, Mister Camera Man."

George furrows one brow in confusion, but the puzzlement diminishes once he sees his lifelong buddy appear from his hiding spot in the next room over. "Andrew? You were in on this the whole time?"

"Of course!" Andrew enters the living room, giving George a hug. "Congratulations, Mister Fiancé. How does it feel to be engaged?"

"I'm in shock, honestly," George admits, not even attempting to fend off the huge grin that's forming on his face. "I had no idea you were here either."

"I filmed the entire thing," Andrew explains, once again flaunting his camcorder. "So you'll get to rewatch the moment for the rest of your life."

George sighs, in disbelief of what has just happened. "I can't believe any of this. This is absolutely crazy."

"Get used to it," I say to him. "One day soon, you'll be my husband."

George shakes his head, overcome with positive emotion.

"And I sure as hell can't wait for that day."

• • •

Not written for this book in a long time, but I felt the need to do a cutesy one like this! I've also never seen George being proposed to — usually it's him proposing to the narrator, so I wanted to do something a little different. :)

Hope you enjoyed. xx